POLSC321: Mideast Politics

Unit 4: IslamAs is the case with any religion, there are many different variants and
factions of Islam. In this unit, you will identify the origin of Islam
and become familiar with the main tenets of the religion. Most
importantly, you will differentiate among various interpretations of
Islam and the various ways in which Muslims relate to the Koran and the
main tenets of Islam.

Unit 4 Time Advisory
This unit should take you approximately 3.5 hours to complete.

☐ Introduction: 0.25 hours

☐ Subunit 4.1: 0.25 hours

☐ Subunit 4.2: 0.5 hours

☐ Subunit 4.3: 2.25 hours

☐ Subunit 4.4: 0.25 hour

Unit4 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able
to:
- Identify the origins of Islam.
- Summarize the main tenets of early Islam.
- Discuss the treatment of minorities in Muslim societies across
socio-historical contexts.
- Identify the different meanings of jihad in Islam.
- Identify the historical origin of the split between Sunni and
Shi’ite Muslims.
- Identify the status of women in the Koran, and differentiate between
that status and the status of women in a pre-Islamic context.

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and then scroll down
and click on the article’s title to download the PDF. Read the
entire text (6 pages). Focus on key tenets of Islam, such as i.
Duties of Muslims, ii. Dhimmis, iii. Five Pillars of Faith, iv.
Different Meanings of Jihad, v. Shari’ah, vi. Ijtihad, vii. Ulama,
and viii. Sufism.

Reading, note-taking, and studying the key tenets of Islam should
take approximately 1 hour to complete.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Reading: Middle Tennessee State University: Muslim Student
Association’s “The Status of Women in Islam”
The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion
of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to
fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please
submit it here.

Instructions: Please click on the link above, and select “View in
iTunes” for “Middle East Problems Origins: Part 1.” Please view
this entire lecture. Consider the historical origins of
contemporary conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Viewing this brief lecture and pausing to take notes should take
approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use on the
webpage displayed above.